Town boss Paul Jewell says his side needed a half-time tongue-lashing for the second time in a week as they came from two goals behind to draw 2-2 at Hull City. The Blues manager had similarly berated his side at the break during Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Southampton.

Jewell said: “The second half performance was very good. Once again at half-time we had to tear a serious strip off them, which is not what we want to keep doing.

“We certainly got a reaction and the disappointing thing was that they scored with their first shot in the second half, almost the first time they’d been in our half.

“The new-found resilience bared its teeth if you like, we battled on and I thought, on the second half performance, we were fully deserving of at least a draw.”

The Town boss left Lee Martin out of the side and says he probably ought to have made more changes after what has been a tiring week: “We’ve had a lot of travelling, like the supporters have.

“I don’t want to make excuses but we got back at three o’clock in the morning on Tuesday and we had a five-hour journey yesterday and one or two were tired.

“I did contemplate making a couple of changes. I left Lee out because he’d been a bit stiff and a bit tired and there were one or two others I was thinking about. Maybe I should have with hindsight because they’ve done exceptionally well and worked exceptionally hard.”

Jewell also took the dreadful KC Stadium surface into account, both in terms of personnel and tactics: “That pitch is a joke. I feel sorry for the Hull players playing on that because it’s not conducive to any football whatsoever.

“You don’t realise how bad it is from the stands. When you get on it, it’s just sand and it’s doesn’t lend itself to open football. We found it difficult, certainly in the first half, to adjust to it.

“We wanted to get Lee in that little hole but you could see that any time you try to play football the ball just bobbles all over the place.

“We thought we had to be a bit more direct but I thought we were a bit meek and mild in the first half. However, in the second we got it in behind and I thought Jason Scotland linked up exceptionally well.

“We played more forcefully. We played in their half, turned them round and I thought we were fully justified in the second half.”

The Liverpudlian had praise for Grant Leadbitter, particularly for the assured manner in which he converted the all-important penalty: “People will talk about the strike and it was a great strike but stepping up to take a penalty at 2-0 showed not just confidence but bottle.

“Once we got the goal you could see there was a spring in our step, but even before that, until they scored the second goal, I thought we started the second half very, very well.”

Hull manager Nick Barmby was disappointed that his side let their lead slip: “When you’re 2-0 up, really you should see out the game. We did well in the first half, got a scruffy goal that we’ve been due in the last two or three games.

“We were the better team but for me the penalty changed it. It was a rash decision [by Aaron Mclean] to try an overhead kick in our box and it’s changed the game. They’ve scored the penalty and then were in the ascendancy. Full credit to Ipswich, they got back in the game.”

The former England midfielder thought his side ought to have been awarded a spotkick in the first half when Carlos Edwards brought down Matty Fryatt: “Yes, but I’m not going to complain about that.

"Ipswich were the better side in he second half but he was holding Matty, you could see it clearly. But it’s by the by, I’m not going to split hairs about that.”

Photo: Action Images

TractorBoy666 added 18:19 - Mar 10 Great draw on such a poor pitch. Grant sounded good today but where is Hyam, anybody?
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ian_marshall added 18:31 - Mar 10 I'm sure he said bollicking on radio suffolk, great result like many of said 2 months ago at 2-0 down would never of come back in a million years. Progress is being made, well done all.
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billlm added 18:32 - Mar 10 were going in the right direction finish strongly have a good pre and get at them early next season
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Langdon_Blue added 18:39 - Mar 10 Well done to Paul and the team. We seem to be very hard to beat these days which is refeshing! Next up its payback time for Posh!!
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Frase1987 added 18:42 - Mar 10 good good, roll on next season
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Garv added 18:56 - Mar 10 A point at Southampton and a point at Hull. 3 goals scored, 3 goals conceded. Good week.
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tomisamos added 19:00 - Mar 10 Think Leadbitter needed this today, earlier in the season we'd have definitely lost this!
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fourth added 19:16 - Mar 10 PJ Get a life. You sent them out onto the pitch.Is this yr new management skill? Not having set them up right?
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bluelady added 19:33 - Mar 10 Fourth - one loss in eight and you tell PJ to get a life, ironic...don't ya think?
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itfc94 added 19:52 - Mar 10 Fourth - dont chat through your rear. Interesting, i would of bet my house we'd lose this game 3 months ago. good effort lads
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Garv added 20:06 - Mar 10 Could've been a carbon copy of the FA cup game there. Will get slated for this but I think Chopra needs to do more, though that's just what I'm getting from commentary, so if on wrong someone tell me. Just wish he had a bit more pace.
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HoxtonBlue added 20:15 - Mar 10 Garv - Chopra didn't have his best game today, but all players have off games. He's there to score goals, and he's certainly been doing that lately, just not today.
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HALLSJ added 20:38 - Mar 10 Being 2 down couldnt believe my eyes 2 in 3 mins great effort would have taken two draws away at Soton & Hull. Well done all
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Ipswichbusiness added 20:49 - Mar 10 After the Cardiff match I posted that the next four games would show how much progress we had made. We won the must win game (home against relegation strugglers). I was worried after the Brighton match that our old habits would return, but two good draws suggest otherwise. I think we are a good mid-table side. That is no criticism; after all a good mid-table should be able to make progress over the summer to be serious promotion contenders. As for promotion this year it is most unlikely. I know that the remaining games look reasonable as most are against mid-table sides or less. However, as someone else pointed out here the maths are not in our favour as to finish sixth you generally need 70-75 points and to take 25-30 from 11 matches would be difficult. As others have asked, where is Hyam? Before the match Hutchings was going on about the youth having pushed out the older players, but he seems to have vanished and for no obvious reason. I note that Hutchings sang Martin's praises before the game and then he was dropped to the subs' bench

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buryblue77 added 20:58 - Mar 10 Fourth, if PJ wasn't a good manager he wouldn't have learned from his mistakes he made earlier in the season and pulled the team together to get through and now we're on a run of 1 defeat in 8, with 5 of those being wins. He clearly is able to get the best out of the players during the game as well, a good talking to at half time and they go out a play a good second half and get 2 goals, which scoring against Hull at the KC is an achievement in itself.

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BuckieBlue added 22:06 - Mar 10 A good week to look back on. As Ipswichbusiness says, progress. Character to come back twice in successive games. And I am sure Hull had only conceded one goal in something like 8 games and we score twice! COYB PJ says some players tired, but at least they've a week before Pboro and visiting the KC sounds like a day out at the beach anyway!
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BuckieBlue added 22:11 - Mar 10 A good week to look back on. As Ipswichbusiness says, progress. Character to come back twice in successive games. And I am sure Hull had only conceded one goal in something like 8 games and we score twice! COYB PJ says some players tired, but at least they've a week before Pboro and visiting the KC sounds like a day out at the beach anyway!
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ClassyCranson added 22:17 - Mar 10 I didn't go to the game but to come back from 2 goals down is very pleasing. Well done Grant on getting a couple of goals. This team should be far higher up the table, although PJ has done well over the last couple of months.
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BuckieBlue added 22:26 - Mar 10 A good week to look back on. As Ipswichbusiness says, progress. Character to come back twice in successive games. And I am sure Hull had only conceded one goal in something like 8 games and we score twice! COYB PJ says some players tired, but at least they've a week before Pboro and visiting the KC sounds like a day out at the beach anyway!
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kevinocallaghan added 22:55 - Mar 10 I just don't get the Hyam situation , you're an integral part of the midfield that gets 4 wins in 5 , then you're dropped . Not from the team to the bench , but from the squad altogether. if Jewel thinks he's tired then a game on the bench is surely enough to give him some rest . He just can't help himself , he has Leadbitter , Bowyer and Bullard in his squad and feels he can't not use them . That's how it seems anyway !

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bluelady added 23:05 - Mar 10 Good grief anyone would think Hyam was Messi!! He did well, but at times did show a lack of experience and to be honest quality. Leadbeitter does not blow me away but has experience and the chance of being a quality player, he has proven that last few games. Bowyer adds experience to the bench, was excellent when he came on today. It's a squad game, we have a good midfield squad and Luke will get his chance again.

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Pabloisgod84 added 23:24 - Mar 10 went to the game today, delighted with the result , nice ground , horrible pitch,freindly people, hull as a place is a dump though!! first half was a dreadful spectacle, Hull were poor i thought and we were even worse, looked like the Ipswich of old. However credit to jewell and the team as second half we were a different team, in their faces, playing with pace, energy and pressuring them. Cracking equaliser as well. What annoys me is why do we not start like this?? With a couple of centre backs in the summer signed (hopefully ward) i think we can do something next season. Smith and Delaney im afraid are not good enough!! Hull didnt create a lot yet we have gifted them 2 goals. Pleasant weekend all.

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Garv added 23:41 - Mar 10 Look, the fact is you can't argue Leadbitter being given his place back in the starting line up since Bristol City, ok? He's played well and rescued a point for us today with a cracking goal. Hyam is unlucky, no more than that. He's been fantastic. But, despite the fact he won't like it, there is little point in him being on the bench if he isn't starting. At what point today would we have needed to bring him on? Whereas Bowyer, someone I've read played well when he came on, IS very much someone you would bring on if you wanted things to happen. Same with Stevenson I guess, being another forward thinking player. This obsession with wanting youth products to play for the sake of it is ridiculous!

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buryblue77 added 23:44 - Mar 10 Bluelady, well said. Hyam could also be a bit erratic at times, Jewell is probably just working with him behind the scenes. I think a lot of people on here forget that vital part of football known as training, you know the thing Jewell sees day in, day out. I think he's a lot more qualified than us on here to make and justify his team selection.
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chepstowblue added 23:49 - Mar 10 Lead------!! Wot was he being called? Some pretty stupid people eating humble pie after turning in 2 Motm performances this week.Leadbitter at his best is better than Hyam at his best,i like them both but Leadbitter is a far far better player.No doubt Hyam will get his chance again but his performance at Brighton gave PJ no option and its not damaged our recent form.Abject 1st half,very good 2nd half...ideally its not how i want it but good character and belief hav seen us gain 2pts more than i expected this wk. 15 or so much improved players right now has given me more optimism than in the previous 3yrs.COYB.

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